'White Fragility' author allegedly plagiarized minority academics in doctoral thesis
Robin DiAngelo wrote 'White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism' in 2018
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"White Fragility" author Robin DiAngelo may have plagiarized multiple scholars, including minority writers, in her 2004 Ph.D. thesis, according to a report Monday.
A complaint filed with the University of Washington and shared with the Washington Free Beacon found dozens of examples of DiAngelo lifting material from other papers without proper attribution, in-text citations or quotation marks in her dissertation.
This included material from two Asian-American professors, University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Stacey Lee and Northeastern University professor Thomas Nakayama.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It is never appropriate to use the secondary source without acknowledging it, and even worse to present it as one's own words," National Association of Scholars president Peter Wood told the Free Beacon. "That's plagiarism."
Fox News Digital reached out to the University of Washington for a comment.
'WHITE FRAGILITY' AUTHOR WARNS PEOPLE OF COLOR TO 'GET AWAY FROM WHITE PEOPLE'
The complaint significantly called into question her dissertation, titled "Whiteness in Racial Dialogue: A Discourse Analysis," which formed the basis of her doctorate in Multicultural Education. She has continued to use the title Dr. DiAngelo earned from the dissertation and has referred to herself as Affiliate Associate Professor of Education at the university.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Digital reached out to DiAngelo and the University of Washington for comment.
The report pointed out how DiAngelo’s website emphasized giving credit to minorities and promoting their work.
"Promote the work and services of BIPOC people. Channel work to BIPOC people. Seek out and choose BIPOC-owned businesses and service providers. Co-lead paid work with BIPOC people when possible," her website says.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"White Fragility" author Robin DiAngelo previously encouraged people to give credit to minorities whenever possible. (NBCNews/Screenshot)
It adds, "Always cite and give credit to the work of BIPOC people who have informed your thinking. When you use a phrase or idea you got from a BIPOC person, credit them."
DiAngelo first took off in 2018 with the publication of her book "White Fragility." It gained renewed interest and become a more mainstream concept during the summer of 2020 in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The phrase "White fragility" originated from DiAngelo’s dissertation.
"White fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves." DiAngelo wrote. "These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation."
DiAngelo first coined the term "White Fragility" in her dissertation. (Photo by: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
The news followed several plagiarism allegations against academic members at Ivy League universities. Most notably, the Free Beacon reported on dozens of accusations against then-Harvard President Claudine Gay in 2023. After weeks of mounting pressure, Gay was forced to resign in January.
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